Stony Brook, N.Y. - In conjunction with its participation in the You Can Play Project, the Stony Brook Athletics Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be holding its first-ever You Can Play Night this Friday at the #Seawolves men's lacrosse game vs. Hartford at LaValle Stadium.

Stony Brook and the America East Conference partnered with the You Can Play project to help educate and change the culture within athletics regarding the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes in the locker room and on the playing field. Stony Brook Athletics is dedicated to ensuring the equality, respect, and safety of all student-athletes without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity, race, or religion.

On You Can Play Night, the SAAC will partner with the Stony Brook LGBTA, StandUP and GQA will be at a table before the game to welcome fans and promote the positive messages of the You Can Play Project and their own student organization. The Stony Brook High C's, an accapella group on campus, will sing the national anthem before the game, sporting their Stony Brook You Can Play t-shirts. The Stony Brook and Hartford lacrosse teams will wear You Can Play helmet stickers to support the initiative. The LaValle Stadium video board will show videos associated with the You Can Play project.

As part of its efforts with the You Can Play Project, the SAAC has also released its own You Can Play video, celebrating the department's diverse group of student-athletes and promoting the culture of acceptance of its own diversity in the department and promote a welcoming and safe environment for all student-athletes, staff, and fans.

The SAAC's You Can Play video was edited by #Seawolves volleyball student-athlete Lo Hathaway, an executive board member of the SAAC, who worked with SAAC co-presidents Caitlin Pfeiffer (women's soccer) and Taylor Gillie (volleyball), Graduate Assistant for Athletic Administration Greta Strenger and Assistant Athletics Director for Administration Patrick Muffley.

"We really wanted to create something that highlighted the diversity of Stony Brook, something that everyone here really embraces," Hathaway said. "Our goal for the video was to be able to send our message while keeping people's attention. We wanted to show the community that we are inclusionary, and we wanted to show future #Seawolves that it doesn't matter who they are, it's their character and talent that matters."